Flight Safety Information
November 16, 2015 - No. 229
In This Issue
PROS 2015 TRAINING
NBAA 2015 AGENDA
NBAA2015 - Aircraft group (with Sullenberger) flying into Las Vegas, Henderson
Qantas 737 jet in tailstrike at Sydney Airport after wrong data tapped into iPad
Vladimir Putin says Britain shared intelligence over Sinai plane crash
Probe into Russian airliner crash over Sinai almost finished
Air-traffic control system at airport meets tough safety standards (Hong Kong)
Two removed from flight leaving Reagan National Airport
Indonesia vows to improve aviation safety
Jetpack: Science Fiction or Real Science?
How a Long-Haul Pilot Manages Jet Lag
Textron Bets on New Business Jet
Russia's two biggest airlines to combine
NASA is Hiring Astronauts for Future Deep Space Missions
VietJet says orders 30 Airbus A321 aircraft
Upcoming Events
JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions)
NBAA 2015 AGENDA
Exhibit HoursExhibit Halls and Indoor Static Display of Aircraft
Tuesday, November 17
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Static Display of Aircraft at Henderson Executive Airport
Tuesday, November 17
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
In addition to exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Henderson Executive Airport
(HND), the NBAA 2015 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015) will host a variety of
significant events for the business aviation industry.
* Program Schedule
NBAA2015 will feature special events and dozens of education sessions covering topics of interest to
all attendees, from those considering the use of an airplane to support their business needs, to those
who have long used an airplane to help their business succeed. Review the full program schedule.
https://www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2015/agenda/
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NBAA2015 - Aircraft group (with Sullenberger) flying into Las Vegas, Henderson
A man walks through an aircraft display at Henderson Executive Airport in 2013. (Las Vegas Review-
Journal)
For Southern Nevada, it's going to be a week of planes, trains and automobiles.
The National Business Aircraft Association is bringing its static display of business aircraft to
Henderson Executive Airport and the Las Vegas Convention Center this week.
The Clark County Commission will consider an ordinance for ride-hailing companies on Tuesday.
And, the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority will choose a franchisee on Wednesday.
All this while the state conducts its annual state tourism convention focusing on bringing international
visitors to Nevada.
About 27,000 people will be in Las Vegas on Tuesday through Thursday for the 68th National Business
Aircraft Association gathering, a convention that rotates to different locations each year.
Residents around Henderson Executive Airport may hear more aircraft traffic than normal as planes fly in
and out of the Henderson airport off St. Rose Parkway. The association is expecting more than 100 planes
to be on display at the airport and at the Convention Center, where Federal Aviation Administration
Administrator Michael Huerta addresses the event's opening general session Tuesday.
Retired US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who piloted the "Miracle on the Hudson" jet to a
safe water landing on the Hudson River in January 2009, speaks Wednesday.
More than 1,000 exhibitors will show off their hardware and customers will be able to kick the tires of the
different models of business aircraft during the event that is closed to the public.
Trains - the high-speed variety - will be on the minds of members of the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority
Wednesday afternoon when the five-member board considers choosing a franchisee from among four
organizations that have submitted proposals to build a rail system that would connect Las Vegas with
Southern California.
Most observers are expecting the board to select XpressWest and its plan to connect Las Vegas with
Victorville and Palmdale, Calif., as the franchisee since system requirements listed in Senate Bill 457,
which formed the authority, match closely with the XpressWest business plan.
But the board also will hear from Sky Tram International, Portland, Ore.; and Las Vegas-based David
Brough's Dual-Mode Advanced Vehicular Endeavor, known as D.A.V.E.
A third applicant, submitted by the Reno-based Nevada Intercity Passenger Railroad, headed by Lamar
Aiazzi, isn't expected to make a presentation, submitting his plan as a protest to call attention to what he
considers to be an unfair advantage for XpressWest.
On the car front, the long-awaited end of the road for Uber and Lyft drivers may take a detour Tuesday
when the Clark County Commission considers an ordinance establishing the business licensing of
transportation network companies.
Over the past six weeks, Uber and Lyft have been working with the county on the ordinance, which would
require ride-hailing companies to acquire a business license to operate.
"On Oct. 20, we reached a written agreement with Clark County on a solution for business licenses," Uber
said in an emailed statement issued Friday. "We support that agreement as written, without additions."
The only problem is that there have been additions. Specifically, the ordinance requires the companies to
provide a monthly report to the county listing the name and identification or driver number or each driver
registered by the company to ensure that all of them are properly licensed.
Uber considers its driver list proprietary information.
The county business license would only be good in unincorporated Clark County, opening the door for
other municipalities to require their own business licenses, a course the city of Las Vegas is on.
In addition, Lyft has sent a letter to the county asking that commissioners consider amending the
ordinance to establish a minimum number of rides provided by a driver before being required to have a
license. The company said because many drivers aren't sure they're going to continue to drive once they
get started, licensing as a condition for driving could result in a negative impact on an emerging industry.
Meanwhile, Uber still hasn't begun operating at McCarran International Airport while Lyft has.
While planes, trains and cars are on the minds of others, the state's largest annual tourism convention
gets underway at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort on Monday.
Rebranded as the Governor's Global Tourism Summit, hundreds of tourism industry professionals from
across the state will meet with the primary goal of establishing plans to attract more international visitors
to Nevada.
The three-day event will include an address to the industry by Gov. Brian Sandoval on Tuesday.
Panel discussions and speaker presentations will focus on how the state, particularly rural areas, can
market to international travelers.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/aircraft-group-sullenberger-flying-las-vegas-henderson
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Qantas 737 jet in tailstrike at Sydney Airport after wrong data tapped into iPad
What is a tailstrike?
Qantas Airways was involved in a data entry error and tailstrike involving Boeing 737-838 in Sydney last
year. But what exactly does that mean?
A Qantas 737 jet carrying 152 passengers and crew scraped its tail on the tarmac at Sydney Airport after
the pilots tapped the wrong data into an iPad linked to the aircraft's computer, air safety investigators
have found.
Shortly after the Boeing 737 departed Sydney bound for Darwin, a flight attendant who had been sitting in
the plane's rear galley reported hearing a "squeak" during take off. It prompted the pilots to quickly run
through a checklist to determine whether the plane had scraped its tail on the runway.
The pilots also contacted Qantas maintenance engineers and decided to fly onto Darwin on August 1 last
year because they could not find any indication from instruments of a tail strike or damage to the plane.
A Qantas 737 similar to the plane pictured scraped its tail on a runway at Sydney Airport in
August last year.
After landing at Darwin, the captain discovered some paint damage and scrape marks to the 737 but found
a cartridge containing a tail strike sensor was intact. It indicated that the plane's tail had "only just
contacted the ground during take off", according to a final report from the Australian Transport Safety
Bureau released on Monday.
The pilots also later checked the performance figures on their iPad for the plane's take-off at Sydney. The
first officer found the take off weight was 10 tonnes less than the plane's actual weight of 76.4 tonnes.
This resulted in the pilots calculating the speeds for take off differently and changes to the aircraft's thrust
setting.
Investigators from the ATSB found the tail strike was the result of two data entry errors in calculating the
take-off performance figures for the aircraft.
"This resulted in the take-off speeds and engine thrust setting calculated and used for the take-off being
too low," they said in the final report. "As a result, when the aircraft was rotated, it over pitched and
contacted the runway."
Qantas has since made changes to pilots' pre-flight procedures, including additional cross checks once
take-off data has been verified.
In one of the most serious tail-strike incidents in Australia, an Emirates A340 with 275 people on board
scaped its tail on the tarmac at Melbourne Airport during take off in 2009.
Apart from leaving three long scapes on the tarmac, the Emirates jet tore through the fuselage alloy skin
of its tail, left shards of metal on the runway, and hit two ground antennas and a strobe light near the end
of the runway as it tried to climb.
Investigators later found the plane's take off weight had been significantly under estimated.
The air-safety bureau said on Monday that independent cross checks between pilots, improved automation
systems and software design, and clear and complete flight documentation would all help prevent data
entry errors.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-737-jet-in-tailstrike-at-sydney-airport-after-wrong-
data-tapped-into-ipad-20151116-gl02wu.html#ixzz3reg1GgUW
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Vladimir Putin says Britain shared intelligence over Sinai plane crash and hails diplomatic
'revival'
Russian President admits relations have been strained but calls for closer working as he meets David
Cameron at G20 after Paris attacks
Christopher Hope By Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent10:23AM GMT 16 Nov 2015
Vladimir Putin has hailed a "revival" in relations between Britain and Russia as he said that David Cameron
shared intelligence about the Sinai plane crash.
In bilateral talks on the margins of the G20 after the Paris attacks, the Russian President told Mr Cameron
that he recognised that the countries' relations had been strained.
But he said: "The recent tragic events in France show that we should join efforts in preventing terror.
Unfortunately our bilateral relations are not of the best.
"But there is certain revival as regards the inter-governmental commission. We created a working
mechanism at different levels.
"Russia has analysed the positive groundwork that you have done in the past and to look into the future as
to the way we should develop our relations."
He told Mr Cameron, the British Prime Minister, that Russia had "the opportunity to discuss urgent
international problems".
Mr Putin also thanked Mr Cameron for an offer to share intelligence data. "I want to thank you for the talk
that we had when you expressed your ideas about the root causes and shared the intelligence data," he
said.
It comes after Russia followed Britain in halting flights to Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month after UK
ministers said they feared the Sinai plane crash had been caused by an "explosive device".
There was speculation that Russia's about-turn came after Britain shared intelligence about the apparent
bombing - a suggestion now confirmed for the first time by Mr Putin.
Egyptian investigators check debris from the Russian jet that crashed in the Sinai Desert. EPA
At the bilateral meeting, Mr Cameron said: "We are meeting together after the appalling terrorist attacks
in France, and it is clear to me that we must work together to defeat this scourge of terrorism that is a
threat to Britain, a threat to Russia and a threat to us all.
"I'm sure we can discuss that and the situation in Syria this morning. And as you say there's an
opportunity to talk about our bilateral relationship as well."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11998119/Vladimir-Putin-reveals-Britain-
shared-intelligence-over-Sinai-plane-crash-and-hails-diplomatic-revival.html
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Probe into Russian airliner crash over Sinai almost finished - Putin
The official investigation into the crash of a Russian airliner over Sinai in Egypt is in its final stage, the
Russian president said.
Vladimir Putin was speaking at a joint conference with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who expressed
his condolences over the loss of life in the incident. Renzi said countries should stand united in fighting
terrorism.
Kolavia flight 7K9268 went down on October 31 minutes after taking off the Sharm El-Sheikh International
Airport, killing 224 people on board, most of them Russians.
Many foreign commenters and officials said they believed that a bomb planted by terrorists was
responsible for the tragedy. This version is among those being investigated by Egyptian and Russian
authorities, but officials said no final verdict had been reached yet.
Despite this Russia closed all civilian flights to Egypt and evacuated tens of thousands of Russian citizens
from the country.
The terrorist group Islamic State claimed its Sinai branch downed the Russian plane in retaliation to the
Russian bombing campaign against IS in Syria.
https://www.rt.com/news/322245-putin-crash-plane-sinai/
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Air-traffic control system at airport meets tough safety standards (Hong Kong)
The maximum capacity of the two runways at the airport has limitations.
The letter by Ian Johnston ("System at airport clearly problematic", November 10) contains a fair bit of
misunderstanding about the existing air-traffic control (ATC) system that the Civil Aviation Department
would like to set straight.
Mr Johnston said that Hong Kong International Airport is "struggling to cope with the current flight load".
This is pure conjecture.
As we stated in our letter ("Functioning air traffic control assures flight safety", November 6), the issue
involving the radar screen has seen a significant improvement and remains well within the margin of the
safety performance indicator after the completion of an enhancement exercise last year. Since the Audit
Commission observed this issue and published its report in October 2014, the issue has recorded a
continued downward trend since 2014.
The existing ATC system of the airport meets the stringent international air traffic management and safety
standards.
The ATC centre of the department has all along been maintaining a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of
air traffic within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region.
Over the years, the department has been making continuous improvements to flight procedures and
operations as well as optimising the air-space structure to progressively increase the runway capacity to
68 movements per hour in October 2015. Nevertheless, the maximum capacity of the existing two
runways of the airport has limitations. Various studies have been conducted in the past to assess the
capacity of the two-runway system.
The latest study was the Airspace and Runway Capacity Study commissioned by the Airport Authority of
Hong Kong and carried out by NATS Services of the UK in 2008, which was based on the latest ATC
technology and international standards.
According to this study, in full compliance with the safety standards/requirements of the International Civil
Aviation Organisation, the maximum practical capacity that can be achieved with the existing two-runway
system would be 68 movements per hour.
We would like to assure Mr Johnston and the public that the existing ATC system and the new one,
targeted to be ready for operation in the first half of 2016, can fully cope with the increase in aircraft
movements and the department will steadfastly safeguard a safe, efficient and sustainable air transport
system.
http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/1878534/air-traffic-control-system-airport-meets-tough-
safety-standards
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Two removed from flight leaving Reagan National Airport
WASHINGTON - A flight leaving Reagan National Airport was deplaned on Sunday after crew members
expressed concerns about two passengers.
The American Airlines flight was headed to Boston's Logan International Airport.
According to a statement from the airline, all the passengers deplaned, and law enforcement officers
"performed additional security measures." The flight then departed for Boston, without the two
passengers.
American Airlines says the two passengers were "re-accommodated" on a later flight.
http://wtop.com/local/2015/11/two-removed-from-flight-leaving-reagan-national-airport/
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Indonesia vows to improve aviation safety
Ignasius Jonan addresses the AAPA Assembly of Presidents in Bali
Indonesia's Minister of Transportation has vowed to improve the country's aviation safety record.
Addressing delegates at the AAPA Assembly of Presidents, which is taking place in Bali this week, Ignasius
Jonan said that he is on a mission to improve safety standards.
Having stressed his past achievements in the rail sector, the minister said; "[Now] I want to do the same
thing in the aviation industry."
"The aviation industry in Indonesia today might not like me," he admitted, referring to his clampdown on
airlines. "[But] at least we should share a passion to increase safety.
"The airline industry in Indonesia should improve safety a lot more. We have to push them (airlines) to
improve safety. The business of the airline executives is doing business. My job is to impose a safety
programme. If we have to choose between business and safety... I don't want to compromise," he added.
A Lion Air jet at Bali airport (photo by Wojtek Chmielewski)
This process has already started, with the Indonesian government having imposed restrictions on airlines
for failing to meet standards. It is also planning significant investments in safety across all areas of
transportation.
"Next year the government will allocate around US$1 billion for safety improvements, including sea, rail
and air transport," Ignasius revealed. "This is the largest number in a single year since the independence
of Indonesia."
In terms of aviation infrastructure, Indonesia is embarking on a major programme to upgrade the facilities
at airports across the country, including the improvement of runways, terminals and air navigation
systems. By 2018, the government is also planning to add 15 new airports, while expansion projects will
lead to at least 100 Indonesian airports being large enough to handle jet aircraft like the Boeing 737 or
Airbus A320 in three years' time.
Andrew Herdman, director-general of the AAPA, stressed that aviation safety should be a "collective effort"
between airlines and governments. He added however, that "further efforts are needed by some
governments" to strengthen their regulatory systems in line with global standards.
Herdman also noted that AAPA has been helping Indonesia to improve its safety processes, including the
recent hosting of a safety forum in partnership with the Indonesian Air Carriers Association.
http://www.traveldailymedia.com/229315/indonesia-vows-to-improve-aviation-safety/
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Jetpack: Science Fiction or Real Science?
Martin Aircraft Jetpack
The first flying machine created by New Zealand Martin Aircraft Company
Martin Aircraft Company's breakthrough technology will let people experience what it feels like to fly. The
company just created its original flying machine: a jetpack. Who would have thought that it will actually be
made? If before everyone thought it just belonged to the movies, now it's on its way to the market.
According to The Guardian, New Zealand's national aviation authority allowed the company's Prototype 12
model jetpack to be used. The jetpacks are set to be available in the market late of 2016. They can fly
high approximately 1,000 meters for half an hour, and they used fans as propellers. During the Paris Air
Show last June, the flying machines were exhibited.
The invention of these jetpacks is a proof that transit companies like Martin Aircraft are able to extend the
boundaries in transportation. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO said that the world is living in a time where cars will
be self-directed. He even gave a timeframe of fifteen to twenty years.
Peter Coker, CEO and Managing Director of the company shared that the machine might seem to be based
on an extremely impossible idea. But nevertheless, it was made possible.
News reported on CNN said that during the machine's first public offering it earned $21 million. By 2016,
the first model can fly up to 30 minutes with altitudes of up to 3,000 feet at a max speed of almost 46
miles/hour. The company's founder Glenn Martin built the design for over 30 years in his own garage.
Coker said that the dream of Glenn Martin is about to come true.
Many transportation-focused businesses share relative ideas and plans with that of Martin Aircraft. Some
of these companies have plans of creating a spaceship that can do suborbital flights and aircrafts that can
fly and land vertically.
People now can envision the ideas, concepts, and designs of future transportation. And Martin Aircraft
jetpacks will only be the beginning.
http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/54019/20151115/jetpack-science-fiction-or-real-science.htm
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How a Long-Haul Pilot Manages Jet Lag
Pilots can ill afford the effects of jet lag and fatigue. New rest rules and practices improve safety.
After a 12 hour and 36 minute flight to Osaka, I'm finally getting to my room at 4:30 p.m. (Japan time).
My plan is to be in bed by 7 p.m. local (3 a.m. in Los Angeles, where I live) and sleep until 2 or 2:30 a.m.
That's at least seven hours of sleep and about the best I can do under the circumstances. It's usually not a
problem getting to sleep after such a long day. It's the staying asleep part that escapes me.
I open my eyes and stare at the bedside clock; now it's 2:16 a.m., and I just can't sleep any longer. My
body is telling me to get up and out of bed. It's after 10 a.m. back in Los Angeles and well past my normal
wake-up time of 6 a.m. at home. After two cups of coffee and some oatmeal, I'm feeling better and head
down to the gym to work out. I'm usually the only one exercising at three in the morning, but I do see
other pilots in the gym from time to time.
International long-haul flying is difficult, no matter how you look at it. We traverse multiple time zones
flying westward chasing the sun, making for brutally long sunny days, or fly in the opposite direction,
creating the world's shortest nights. Flying far south presents its own problems, too. As an example, I'll
sometimes take off from Los Angeles for Sydney in the dark and land before the sun comes up after being
aloft for 15 hours.
That extended darkness affects how our bodies react to jet lag, wreaking havoc on our circadian rhythms,
our natural sleep time in a 24-hour period. For most of us, this lasts from when it gets dark outside, plus
or minus a few hours, until waking up, a few hours from sunrise.
Flying a sophisticated jet airplane requires a great deal of concentration, discipline and experience. To
accomplish these complicated tasks with precision, pilots need to be well rested and alert. Long-haul
international flying poses several challenges to reporting for work rested and alert, so much so that the
FAA modified old rest rules to more adequately address the physiological aspects of sleep and rest. Those
old rules looked at pilots much like the machines we fly instead of considering us as human beings. The
new rules were crafted after years of research by NASA into the physiology of sleep and the effects of not
getting enough of it.
Sleep is a vital physiological function. While the average person can go weeks without eating, drinking
water and getting sleep are mandatory after just a few days without. Research has linked fatigue to a
degradation in mental abilities and the performance of even the simplest tasks. In an endeavor like
operating heavy, complex aircraft, it is essential for everyone's safety that pilots are well rested.
Because we depend so heavily on CRM (Crew Resource Management), it's easy to see how fatigue can
affect us so negatively. NASA fatigue studies have highlighted common problems aircrews encounter after
becoming sleep deprived. When we get tired we're less likely to interact socially, affecting our ability to
maximize our CRM skills. Fatigue also lessens our ability to reason logically, negatively affects our mood
and often leads to a loss in focus or attention. Other lapses associated with fatigue include degraded
timing and accuracy in selecting control systems. We tend to accept lower standards of performance as
well and lose the ability to integrate information so that even small tasks become difficult to perform. A
lapse in any one of these factors at an inopportune time could spell disaster. Bottom line: Fatigue makes
us lose our resolve. That's why the rest rules required an overhaul.
Fortunately, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has been a crucial advocate in communicating the
necessity for favorable rest facilities for pilots, both in the air and on the ground. International flyers will
attest to all the different types of rest seats they've seen pilots using, depending on which airline they're
flying. Most of the legacy carriers that fly long-haul routes have dedicated bunk rooms or special lie-flat
seats for pilots in first class, while lesser-known carriers might have coach seats set aside for pilots. I don't
know about you, but I have a difficult time just sitting in a coach seat, let alone getting any rest in one.
This disparity in rest facilities led the FAA to mandate a minimum standard so those airlines that don't
comply will have their crew duty times reduced considerably.
ALPA has helped in the selection of layover hotels as well. Pilots at my airline cannot be housed anywhere
near elevators or ice machines or in rooms adjacent to loud street noise. It may appear trivial, but those
little disturbances can create big problems in getting a good night's sleep.
As professional pilots, we must report for duty ready. It's up to the individual pilot to admit to being
fatigued if he or she has not gotten the proper amount of rest, and therefore is unable to report for duty.
We owe it to our company, ourselves and, most important, you.
Cockpit Conversation
Chris Cooke answers questions about air travel, from a pilot's perspective.
Why are some landings smoother than others?
The difference between a smooth and a hard landing comes down to the rate of descent at touchdown. If
your pilot judges his rate of descent with the timing of the flare (raising the nose of the aircraft) properly,
the landing will probably be smooth. If the pilot flares too late, the rate of descent will be excessive and
the airplane will literally smack into the ground.
A high flare can also cause a rough landing because the aircraft will literally stall and fall heavily onto the
runway. Often, as a pilot transitions to a bigger or smaller airplane, his familiar sight picture will change,
making smooth landings difficult until he has an idea of "where his wheels are."
http://fortune.com/2015/11/14/pilot-jet-lag/
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Textron Bets on New Business Jet
Cessna Citation Hemisphere will enter market that remains generally stagnant
Textron plans to unveil the Hemisphere jet in Las Vegas this week, with the larger Longitude due to arrive
in late 2017. Above, an earlier version of the Longitude's cockpit in 2012.
Cessna parent Textron Inc. on Monday will announce plans to launch a new business jet into a market that
remains stagnant after the collapse that followed the financial crisis, with buyers in emerging markets
taking more to the sidelines than the skies.
The Cessna Citation Hemisphere jet will join a parade of plush new planes with larger cabins that are able
to skip between continents, but tough market conditions have forced some rivals to cut production or
cancel aircraft programs altogether.
The market has been propped up by relatively brisk business in the U.S. from high net-worth individuals
and corporate buyers, just as demand from Russia, China and Brazil and the Middle East swooned
following the drop in commodity prices.
However, even North America isn't immune. The Federal Aviation Administration said the number of
takeoffs and landings by business jets in the U.S. dipped 1.8% in September from a year earlier, the first
decline in more than two years as a drop in overseas flights outweighed a modest rise in domestic flying.
"The news across the industry has been somewhat dire," said Neil Book, chief executive of Chicago-based
Jet Support Services Inc., which maintains more than 2,000 business planes world-wide.
The shift toward such larger, pricier models helped push up global spending on business aircraft to $22
billion in 2014 from $21.1 billion in 2013, still below the market's $24.1 billion peak in 2008 after adjusting
for inflation.
Shipments of 722 new jets last year rose from 678 in 2013, according to the General Aviation
Manufacturers Association.
Textron plans to unveil the Hemisphere at the industry's main trade show in Las Vegas this week, having
introduced the sister Latitude jet to its first customers this year, with the larger 12-seat Longitude due to
arrive in late 2017.
It has yet to finalize how many passengers the Hemisphere would carry.
The company canceled plans for another large-cabin jet called the Columbus in 2009, but executives said
new production and design techniques and the growth potential when international markets rebound
helped drive the business case.
The Hemisphere is projected to cost between $30 million and $34 million, with a range of 4,500 nautical
miles and a 102-inch-wide cabin.
It is part of the trend toward larger planes that can hold a meeting table and better communications
equipment that make flying more akin to an office in the sky.
Scott Ernest, chief executive of Textron Aviation, said no new planes had been developed in the class for
30 years, and the range reflects demand for planes able to fly nonstop between London and Dubai or from
Brazil to Miami, as well as across the Atlantic.
"We couldn't make it work with any of our existing product," said Mr. Ernest, who plans to test buyer
sentiment at the National Business Aviation Association show in Las Vegas ahead of settling on the final
design over the next six months and flying the first plane in 2019.
Textron started tweaking the design of the coming Longitude jet last year, and its $1.4 billion acquisition
of rival Hawker Beechcraft added engineering resources to more quickly develop a new entrant that will
move it into the super-midsize territory dominated by Bombardier Inc. the Gulfstream arm of General
Dynamics Corp. and France's Dassault Aviation SA.
Cessna put the design and manufacturing team together in a single building at its facility in Wichita, Kan.,
to work on the project, employing lessons from the development of its new Scorpion military jet to halve
the time it is taking to develop the Hemisphere compared to previous new models.
"The whole merger has really strengthened our ability to bring new products to market," said Mr. Ernest.
The company also involved its sales team at an earlier stage, passing on tips for reducing noise in the
cabin.
"We've always seen that new aircraft...have a stimulus effect," said Brian Sill, president of the business
and general aviation unit at Honeywell International Inc, which makes engines and other parts for business
jets.
While Textron and others pin their hopes on new models, other storm clouds have emerged, and engine
maker Rolls Royce Holding PLC on Friday issued a profit warning, in part because sales of its engines for
new business jets remain depressed.
Makers of parts and other services don't expect a near-term recovery, and Bombardier recently opted to
cancel its planned new Learjet 85 to preserve cash, and has cut the production of other models.
"I think that lower oil prices have hurt rather than helped both helicopter sales and business-jet sales,"
said Amin Khoury, chairman of B/E Aerospace Inc., which makes seats and other parts for corporate and
commercial planes.
"We've now had one bizjet program canceled completely," Mr. Khoury said at a recent investor conference.
"We've had two bizjet manufacturers defer the entry into service of three new aircraft types from 2016,
2017 into 2018."
Honeywell on Sunday said business-jet sales over the next decade would be lower than it forecast last
year. It shaved more than 200 planes from its forecast, now for 9,200 aircraft valued at $270 billion, with
annual growth limited to 3% over the next few years before a resurgence beyond 2018.
The company found that only 22% of the corporate flight departments it surveyed said they planned new
acquisitions over the next five years, down slightly from last year and compared with 28% in 2013.
"The potential for growth is surely Asia and Africa later," said Olivier Villa, senior vice president for
commercial aircraft at Dassault. "We really trust the Chinese market will come back in maybe six months,
maybe a year, but it is surely the best growth we can expect."
http://www.wsj.com/articles/textron-bets-on-new-business-jet-1447650439
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Russia's two biggest airlines to combine; Aeroflot to buy Transaero for patriotism rather than
profits
Aeroflot agreed to take over its closest competitor Transaero Airlines as the country's economic woes
shake the industry. And to help support homegrown companies in the middle of a downturn, the
government is urging Aeroflot to purchase the new Russian Superjets by Sukhoi.
Aeroflot is set to purchase the rival Transaero in a move that will consolidate Russia's two largest carriers
into one, the airline company announced on Tuesday. "Transaero will be completely overhauled and
integrated into the Aeroflot group," an Aeroflot spokesman claimed to Russia's RIA news agency via
Reuters.
It would likely acquire a 75 percent venture in struggling competitor Transaero, which will instantly create
one of the world's largest air transport companies. The deal, which focuses on Kremlin's determination to
support ailing industries, takes in a lifeline to the challenged private airline, given that their net debt
totalled 106 billion roubles or $1.63 billion at the end of last year.
According to Bloomberg, Aeroflot is ready to shell out 1 ruble for its indebted completion. Transaero's main
owners are Olga Pleshakova and Alexander Pleshakov, the company's CEO and board chairman. Both of
them have about 18 percent of the carrier's shares.
The joint airline companies will probably fly more than half of all domestic passengers, as stated by Andrei
Rozhkov, a transportation analyst at the Moscow-based IFC Metropol. "Weak airlines are leaving the
market or reducing their business, on the one hand," Rozhkov said via phone call. He went on by stating,
"Aeroflot is getting a boost from the Transaero deal, on the other hand."
Moreover, the move to buy the company emphasizes the thought that Aeroflot is ready to support its
homegrown companies in the midst of a downturn and Western sanctions. The government also claims
that the new Russian Superjets' manufacturer is well-known for building the fighters and bombers now
striking on Syria.
However, Aeroflot must allegedly shift without alarming its customers at a time when the country's airline
industry is having troubles not only from a sharp recession, but also from safety jitters over the crash in
Egypt of a Russian passenger jet created by Airbus, as reported by The New York Times.
For now, the news of the combination of both airlines sent Transaero's shares up by almost 40 percent,
while Aeroflot stocks slipped by 5 percent on the Moscow Exchange. But in the middle of Aerflot's lost, the
passenger numbers were up to 8.7 percent year by year in the same period.
http://www.vcpost.com/articles/106500/20151115/russias-two-biggest-airlines-combine-aeroflot-buy-
transaero-patriotism-profits.htm
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ANA Seeks Stakes in Other Asian Airlines
Airline wants equity stakes in other Asian carriers and joint venture agreements
Shinya Katanozaka CEO and president of ANA Holding pictured in October. He said ANA is approaching a
number of Asian airlines.
LONDON- ANA Holdings Inc. is looking to bolster its hold on Asian traffic through equity stakes in other
Asian carriers and joint venture agreements, said Chief Executive Shinya Katanozaka.
"We are approaching a number of Asian airlines," Mr. Katanozaka said in an interview.
The parent of All Nippon Airways Co. has enjoyed a boom period with the low yen fueling demand for
inbound traffic. The group reported net profit rose 51% in the April to September period. Mr. Katanozaka
said the outlook remains bright with strong demand and fuel prices set to remain low.
Medium-term prospects also remain strong, with Japan set to boost its target for foreign tourists of 20
million in 2020 to 30 million. Japan hosts the Olympic Games that year.
ANA said it is considering investments in Vietnam Airlines, Mr. Katanozaka said, though it also may deepen
its cooperation with Garuda Indonesia and Philippine Airlines with equity stakes. ANA would be limited to a
minority share, but Mr. Katanozaka believes the dividends it received and ability work together more
closely could boost returns.
Myanmar also remains on the agenda after the Japanese airline group scrapped plans for a stake in Asian
Wings Airways. ANA was going to take a 49% stake but pulled out over concern about intensified
competition. Mr. Katanozaka said "we are trying to find another partner in Myanmar."
ANA is hoping to exploit a window of opportunity to bolster its reach while the expansion of local rival
Japan Airlines Co. is constrained. As part of JAL's bankruptcy restructuring process, the government
imposed limits on the airline that restrict its growth until the close of the fiscal year ended in March 2017.
ANA's Mr. Katanozaka wants to have equity stakes in place before the restrictions on JAL expire.
ANA, which has joint venture agreements with United Continental Holdings Inc. and Deutsche Lufthansa
AG, is exploring possible joint venture agreements with Asian carriers. The agreements allow the carriers
to closely coordinate schedules and pricing.
Though Mr. Katanozaka wouldn't identify potential partners, members of the Star Alliance are more likely
because of the difficulty of partnering with carriers outside the pact.
When ANA announced results late last month, it stuck to its previous projections for net profit of ¥52
billion ($420 million) in the financial year ending in March, given the uncertainty surrounding the global
economy, especially in China and the U.S., as well as the recent increase in the number of China-Japan
flights. Still Mr. Katanozaka said despite some economic slowdown in China, bookings for the next Chinese
New Year period remain strong.
He also said he expects the airline's Vanilla budget unit to be profitable this financial year.
ANA is in the process of formulating its medium-term plan covering the period from 2016 to 2020. To help
fuel growth, the airline is seeking additional slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, though a government
decision on further allocations could come slightly later than initially projected.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/ana-seeks-stakes-in-other-asian-airlines-1447593972
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VietJet says orders 30 Airbus A321 aircraft
James Hoffman Hakan Buskhe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saab, center, talks to the
journalists at a press conference to announce a UAE Ministry of Defense $1.27 billion deal for upgraded
Saab surveillance systems on their Bombardier aircraft during the second day of the Dubai Airshow in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Monday, November 9, 2015.
Emirates airline on Monday signed a $16bn deal with GE Aviation for the maintenance, fix and overhaul -
better known as MRO - of the GE9X engines on its Boeing 777X fleet over a period of 12 years. No terms
were released for the deal between Airbus Group and Vietjet, though the list prices of the aircraft are more
than $3 billion. Emirates signed another 12-year services contract worth $36 million with GE Aviation also
for aircraft maintenance. On Monday, India's Jet Airways announced the purchase of 75 Boeing 737 Max
aircraft, estimated to be worth around $8.25 billion.
Germany's Lufthansa owns Lufthansa Technik, the world's biggest MRO services provider for commercial
aircraft including for the German carrier, 700 other airlines and business jet operators. Lockheed Martin
will be keeping Saudi Arabia's fleet of Boeing F-15 strike aircraft on target for years to come, thanks to a
new support contract announced during the Dubai air show. "I can confirm this is a firm order", Airbus
COO for customers John Leahy said, adding that the client "did not pay the catalog price", but did not
disclose the discount. "Today's order for additional A321s responds to our growth strategy and to the need
for additional seat capacity on both domestic and global routes", Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said
in a statement. With Tuesday's announcement, Vietjet has placed firm orders with Airbus for a total of 99
A320 family aircraft. A $1.27bn contract from the United Arab Emirates for an upgraded Saab radar
surveillance system for new aircraft reflected a shift in focus at the show.
http://steelerslounge.com/2015/11/vietjet-says-orders-30-airbus-a321-aircraft/52249/
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Upcoming Events:
Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) Seminar (ERAU)
Nov. 17-19, 2015
Daytona Beach, FL
www.erau.edu/sms
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Seminar (ERAU)
Dec. 8-10, 2015
Daytona Beach, FL
www.erau.edu/uas
Gulf Flight Safety Council(GFSC) - Safety Summit
December 9-10, 2016
Dubai, UAE
www.gfsc.aero
New HFACS workshop
Las Vegas
December 15 & 16
www.hfacs.com
2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium
January 3, 4, & 5 2016
Disney World, FL
1-866-870-5490
www.dtiatlanta.com
6th European Business Aviation Safety Conference 2016
February 23-24, 2016
Frankfurt, Germany
www.ebascon.eu
2016 Air Charter Safety Symposium | Safety: A Small Investment for a Rich Future
March 8-9, 2016 | NTSB Training Center | Ashburn, VA
http://www.acsf.aero/events/acsf-symposium/
CHC Safety & Quality Summit Press Releases and Save the Date
April 4-6, 2016
Vancouver, BC
www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com
BARS Auditor Training
Washington, DC
Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April
http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training
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JOBS AVAILABLE:
Auditors Needed
Wyvern Consulting, Ltd
James.nicoletti@wyvernltd.com
Curt Lewis